January 18, 2011

This Week in The National Law Journal

Death Knell: For the past decade, most of the arguments in the death penalty debate have played themselves out in Illinois. Now the state may be on the verge of repealing the death penalty, Tony Mauro reports.

Mandatory Mentors: Recent law school graduates who plan to practice in Oregon will be the first to participate in a mandatory yearlong mentorship program designed to help them develop the practical and professional skills they need to be successful lawyers, Karen Sloan reports.

BP Suits: Attorneys general in 16 states and the U.S. government want to put a little distance between themselves and the rest of the plaintiffs in the multidistrict litigation against BP PLC over the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, Amanda Bronstad reports.

Fee Fight: After scoring a full acquittal for car dealer James Auffenberg Jr.in 2009 on charges of attempting to defraud the federal government, Zuckerman Spaeder has been locked in a fee dispute for his defense. The firm alleges that Auffenberg has failed to pay more than $834,000 in fees and expenses, Jeff Jeffries reports.

Inadmissible: George Washington University’s Law School co-sponsors a project to rebuild Haiti's law libraries, a Caplin & Drysdale associate becomes the public voice of Playoff PAC, a political action committee pushing for a college football playoff system, and more.